Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh holds end-of-year Athletics Convocation
4/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh held its annual Convocation Program on Monday morning at Grace Hall to look back on the accomplishments of the past year for both team and individual performances. Senior cross country and track and field standout Jen Schappert was honored as the Graduating Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the most prestigious award given by the athletics department. On the trail and track Schappert earned multiple All-League honors, while maintaining a 3.87 grade point average in the classroom. Along the way she became the first female cross country runner at Lehigh to qualify for Nationals, and twice she garnered Academic All-American laurels.
Other award winners included senior men’s soccer player John O’Reilly and senior women’s soccer player Gina Lewandowski. O’Reilly garnered the Graduating Male Athlete of the Year Award. This past season, he became Lehigh’s fist First-Team All-American in men’s soccer since 1946 as he helped lead the Mountain Hawks to a “Sweet 16” appearance in the NCAA Tournament. O’Reilly garnered First-Team All-Region and All-League accolades and was named the 2006 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year.
Lewandowski was named the Graduating Female Athlete of the Year, after finishing a career in which she scored 36 goals, the second most in school history, and was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year twice.
Junior Allison Campofranco was named the Phillip J. Sclar Award Winner for her efforts as a student-manager with the Lehigh men’s soccer program. Campofranco attended nearly every practice and game, helping out with statistics as well as video operations.
Senior Mel Lepko was honored with the Marlene “Linny” Fowler Service Award. A member of the field hockey program, Lepko served as co-chair of the C.O.A.C.H. program as well as a member of the student-athlete council and the student-athlete executive board while also volunteering at the Bethlehem SouthSide center.
Arthur “Robby” Walsh earned the Sportsmanship Award for his role on the men’s lacrosse team. Described as a selfless, team-first type of person, Walsh’s influence on others was evident when his teammates offered to give up their spot on the travel roster for 2005 Patriot League Tournament, just so Walsh would have a chance to travel with the squad.
Freshmen Inneke Carmola and Marquis Hall were named the top freshmen athletes, respectively. Carmola, the John Steckbeck Award Winner, was a First-Team All-Patriot League selection in women’s lacrosse as well as the league’s Rookie of the Year after scoring 46 goals. Hall, the J. Daniel Nolan award winner, was also the Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Lehigh’s first-ever in men’s basketball, and he garnered Mid-Major Freshman All-American accolades after scoring the third most points ever by a Lehigh freshman.
Senior Julie Sterrett, a member of the softball program, was named the Mary O. Hurley Leadership Award winner, while senior swimmer Tom Gilbert was named the Graduating Male Leadership Award recipient. Sterrett served as President of the Student-Athlete Executive Council, as well as co-chair of the C.O.A.C.H. program, while in 2005, she won the Good Scholar Election by raising over $10,000 for cancer research. A captain of the men’s swimming and diving program, Gilbert served as a tremendous role model for all of his teammates within the program, and in 2007, he was honored as the Patriot League Swimming and Diving Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Also on Monday, eight senior student-athletes were honored with Distinguished Achievement
Awards. These recipients are student-athletes who have displayed a high level of scholarship, significant athletic achievement at the league level and beyond and demonstrated service to the institution. The honorees included: Betsy Balaguer (women’s swimming and diving), Tom Gilbert, (men’s swimming and diving), Gina Lewandowksi (women’s soccer), Jose Olivero (men’s baskettball), John O’Reilly (men’s soccer), Jen Schappert (women’s cross country/track and field), Julie Sterrett (softball), and Joe Verdi (men’s soccer)
2006-07 Lehigh Athletics Departmental Awards
Phillip J. Sclar Award – Allison Campofranco (men’s soccer manager)
Service Award – Mel Lepko (field hockey)
Sportsmanship Award – Robby Walsh (men’s lacrosse)
John S. Steckbeck (Freshman Female) – Inneke Carmola (women’s lacrosse)
J. Daniel Nolan (Freshman Male) – Marquis Hall (men’s basketball)
Graduating Male Athlete – John O’Reilly (men’s soccer)
Graduating Female Athlete – Gina Lewandowski (women’s soccer)
Distinguished Achievement Award – Betsy Balaguer (women’s swimming and diving), Tom Gilbert, (men’s swimming and diving), Gina Lewandowksi (women’s soccer), Jose Olivero (men’s baskettball), John O’Reilly (men’s soccer), Jen Schappert (women’s cross country/track and field), Julie Sterrett (softball), Joe Verdi (men’s soccer)
Mary O. Hurley Award (Female Leadership) – Julie Sterrett (softball)
Male Leadership Award – Tom Gilbert (men’s swimming and diving)
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Jen Schappert (women’s cross country/track and field)
